Furnace-controlling device.



T. P. BROWN.

FURNACE CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.18, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911 :Tw/wmes,

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :0" WASHINGTON, n. c.

THEODORE P. BROWN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

' FURNACE-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 18, 1911.

Serial No. 603,277.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, THEODORE P. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Furnace-Controlling Device,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a system for operating and controlling theregulating drafts and dampers of heater and is applicable tosubstantially all kinds thereof.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a construction ofthis character which can be applied to the drafts and dampers withoutaltering them in any way, and which will restore these heater regulatingdevices to normal condition, that is to the condition in which the draftis checked, after the lapse of a definite amount of time; to provide aconstruction which can be made to accomplish this restoring action inthe full period of operation of the device or in any fraction thereof;to provide for gradually operating the controlling device up to acertain point and then completing the operation rapidly; and to providea construction of an exceedingly simple form which has no parts thatwill get out of order in ordinary usage.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa side view of an ordinary type of furnace or heater showing a preferredembodiment of this invention applied thereto; and Fig. 2 is a sectionalview in a plane parallel to the plane of Fig. 1 on enlarged scale of theregulating pneumatic therefor.

The furnace A is shown as provided with an ordinary type of front damperB and check draft 0. These are both shown as connected with a pivotallymovable member 10. The damper in this instance is shown as connectedwith it by a flexible connection 11 passing over pulleys, while thecheck draftis shown as having a pivoted rod 12 extending therefrom andguided by a guide 14 to a position to engage the memberlO. gravity. Thismovable member 10 is shown treme position, this rod engages it, and whenthe movable member 10 moves to the position shown in Fig. 1 it obviouslyis out of engagement. In the first position the movable memberpositively opens the check draft and allows the front damper to close byits own weight, thus checking the fire, while in the second position theopposite elfect is secured, the check draft closing by gravity. Thismovable member 10 is shown as the pivoted leaf of a pneumatic 16. It isnormally held expanded by a-leaf spring 17 or the like and is providedwith a port 18 for the escape and entrance of air. This is covered by avalve 19 on a lever 20 which can be turned against the resistance of aspring 21 to fully open the port 18 when collapsing the pneumatic, butwill be automatically moved by the spring into a position to cover theport and restrict the passage of air therethrough; it being understoodthat the passage of air into the pneumatic is never entirely prevented.Mounted at a convenient position, preferably on the stationary part ofthe pneumatic is a scale 22 graduated in any desired way, but preferablyin convenient units of time. In this case the zero point of the scale isat the point with. which the movable leaf 10 reg isters when thepneumatic is entirely expanded, and it is graduated to show the lengthof time required for the spring 17 to expand the pneumatic when themovable leaf is depressed to the different points of the scale. It is tobe observed that the rod 12 is shown as bearing directly on the lever20. I

The operation of the device is very simple. If it is desired to create adraft in the furnace and have it stopped at the end of a period of timerepresented by the maximum division on the scale, the valve 19 isoperated to open the port 18 and the movable leaf is depressed td themaximum extent until it registers 'with the largest reading on thescale, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.

2. The valvel9 isthen released so' that the Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

spring causes it to cover the port and the device is left in thatcondition. As the air gradually enters and allows the spring 17 toexpand the pneumatic, the leaf 10 moves back and the front draft Bgradually closes. It will not close entirely of course until thepneumatic is entirely expanded beyond the position shown in thedrawings. During the first part of this operation the check draft C isnot affected, but just before the end of the stroke of the movable leafthe lever 20 will engage the end of the rod 12. The resistance thus metovercomes the spring 21 and opens the valve 19. This allows the air toflow in freely and the spring 17 to act quickly. This immediately closesthe damper B, and opens the check draft as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2. If it is desired to have these parts operate in a shorter time thanthat represented by the highest division of the scale, the movablemember is moved only part way, the scale indicating how far it is to bemoved in order to get the desired result.

It will be seen that the construction of the device for operating theordinary regulating dampers is exceedingly simple and of such characterthat it will practically last at least during the life time of afurnace, as it has no wearing parts and nothing that is likely to getout of order. At the same time it is exceedingly inexpensive andrequires no mechanical knowledge to operate it or even to form suchadjustments, as may be required. The final quick operation is adesirable feature.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by anyperson skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to belimited to all the details of construction herein shown and described,but

What I do claim is 1. In a device of the character described, thecombination with the regulating devices for a heater, of a pneumatichaving a swinging member connected with said regulating devices,constructed and adapted, when in normal position, to allow them to moveto a position to check the draft and to withdraw them from that positionwhen moved out of normal position, said swinging member having arestricted orifice for the passage of air, resilient means for resistingthe movement of said pivoted member out of normal position and forrestoring it to normal position when moved, and means whereby theposition of said swinglng member is controlled by the fiow of airthrough said port.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with theregulating devices of a heater, of a pneumatic having a movable leaf anda restricted orifice for the passage of air, resilient means fornormally holding said pneumatic expanded, the movable leaf of saidpneumatic being connected to said regulating devices, whereby when saidpneumatic is wholly or partially collapsed the regulating devices willbe operated and will be restored to normal position when the pneumaticis fully expanded.

3. In a heater regulating device, the combination with a check draft anddamper, of a pneumatic having a movable leaf, means for connecting saidcheck draft and damper with the movable leaf for holding one of themopen and the other closed when the pneumatic is expanded, and forreversing their positions when the pneumatic is collapsed, saidpneumatic having a spring for normally holding it expanded, and arestricted orifice for retarding its expansion after it has beencollapsed.

4. In a heater regulating device. the combination with a check draft anddamper, of

a pneumatic having a movable leaf, means for connecting said check draftand damper 'with the movable leaf for holding one of them open and theother closed when the pneumatic is expanded, and for reversing theirpositions when the pneumatic is collapsed, said pneumatic having aspring for normally holding it expanded, a restricted orifice forretarding its expansion after it has been collapsed, and a scale forshowing how far the pneumatic is collapsed, whereby the time requiredfor operating the check draft and damper may be estimated.

5. In a heater regulating device, the combination with a check draft anddamper, of a pneumatic having a movable leaf, means for connecting saidcheck draft and damper .with the movable leaf for holding one of themopen and the other closed when the pneumatic is expanded, and forreversing their positions when the pneumatic is collapsed, saidpneumatic having a spring for normally holding it expanded, a restrictedorifice for retarding its expansion after it has been collapsed, andmeans for fully opening said orifice near the end of the ex pansivemovement of the movable leaf.

6. In a heater regulating device, the combination with a check draft anddamper, of

a pneumatic having a movable leaf and a spring for normally moving saidleaf to expanded position, said leaf having a port, means for connectingsaid check draft and damper with the movable leaf for holding one ofthem open and the other closed when the pneumatic is expanded, and forreversing their positions when the pneumatic is collapsed, a leverpivoted on said leaf, a valve for said port connected with and operatedby said lever, resilient means for In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset keeping said valve closed, and means for my hand, in the presence oftwo subscribing operating a draft or damper located in posiwitnesses.

tion to be engaged by said lever when the THEODORE P. BROWN. pneumaticexpands nearly to limiting posi- Witnesses:

tion and to swing the lever and open the ALBERT E. FAY,

valve. 0. FORREST WESSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G.

